flier

noun

fli·​er ˈflī(-ə)r 

variants or less commonly flyer

1

: one that flies

She's a frequent flier on that airline.

specifically : airman

He was a flier on an aircraft carrier.

2

: a reckless or speculative venture

—usually used in the phrase take a flier

He took a flier in politics soon after getting his degree.

3

usually flyer : an advertising circular

Flyers announcing the concert were distributed throughout the city.

Synonyms

• adventure
• chance
• crapshoot
• enterprise
• flutter [chiefly British]
• gamble
• speculation
• throw
• venture

Examples of flier in a Sentence

These birds are graceful fliers.

They distributed flyers announcing the concert throughout the city.

Recent Examples on the Web

The slightly earlier-than-planned trip home was made possible by a tentative decision last week to switch the next set of station fliers — Crew 10 — to a different Crew Dragon spacecraft, one that can be ready for launch as early as March 12, with weather and other factors considered. —William Harwood, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2025

In 2022, Sezzle launched a $12.99-a-month subscription service aimed at these frequent fliers, with benefits including access to more retailers and flexibility in rescheduling payments. —Hank Tucker, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2025

All of them wore masks and scattered caution tape and fliers in his front yard. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2025

The North Carolina firm also saw an advantage in charging daily rates, which financially rewards long-distance fliers, rather than monthly management fees charged by the larger players. —Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 2 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing flier

• frequent-flier
• take a flier

Kids Definition

flier

noun

fli·​er

variants also flyer

ˈflī(-ə)r

1

: one that flies

especially : pilot entry 1 sense 3

2

: an undertaking (as in business) that involves much risk

3

: an advertising circular